More than 100 people, unionized security guards and allies, gathered at Mechanics Monument Plaza Wednesday to rally against the unfair wages offered by billion-dollar companies.
Security guards from San Francisco to Silicon Valley, with the support of the Service Employees International Union United Service Workers West and allies, announced a strike authorization against companies like Allied Universal and Securitas, both huge national operations that contract with some of the richest companies in the world.
People at the rally chanted “protect the rich while we stay poor” and “hell no we won’t take it no more,” highlighting how employers treat the ones who protect and support their companies. Security officers say they are risking their lives to protect wealthy companies like Salesforce, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta—which can easily afford to pay their contractors enough to provide a living wage for guards.
According to UC Berkeley, security officers are mostly workers of color with 41 percent Latino and 23 percent Black. Security officers are paid a median of $20.09; California’s median wage is $28.16…